Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Previously, pricing, and privacy
Previously captures screenshots of your screen at regular intervals and uses advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to extract text. This makes everything you see searchable. The app runs quietly in the background and only activates when you need to search.
Yes. All your screen history is stored locally on your Mac. I can’t see it and it never touches my servers. If you use AI features (optional), that data goes directly to OpenAI/Anthropic using your own API key—still not through me.
Previously uses intelligent compression to minimize storage usage. On average, expect about 1-2 GB per month of active use. You can also set retention limits to automatically delete older history.
Previously has built-in privacy features that can exclude specific apps, detect and skip password fields, and blur sensitive content. You have full control over what gets captured.
Previously requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later and works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
Press the global keyboard shortcut (customizable, default is ⌘⇧Space) to open the search interface. Type what you remember - it can be text you saw, the name of an app, or a description of what you were looking at.
Yes! In Previously’s settings, you can add apps to an exclusion list. Previously will never capture content from excluded apps, giving you complete control over your privacy.
No. Previously is designed to be lightweight and efficient. It uses minimal CPU and memory, and you won’t notice any performance impact during normal use.
Yes, 14-day money-back guarantee. If it’s not for you, just email me.
Yes. Previously is free to try with 7 days of history. All features work, including AI features if you bring your own API key. Pay once for unlimited history—no subscription required.
AI features (semantic search, summaries, meeting notes) use your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key. You add your key in settings, and Previously makes the API calls directly. I never see your key or your data—you control everything. This also means you pay the AI providers directly at their standard rates, not through me.
No. All core features—screen capture, keyword search, activity tracking—work without any API key. The AI features are optional extras for those who want semantic search or generated summaries.
A few reasons: I wanted to keep Previously a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Your data never touches my servers. You get transparency on AI costs. And honestly, it’s simpler for me as a solo developer—I don’t want to manage AI billing.